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Tame the CAT Rising GMAT Star
Joined: 04 Mar 2007 Posts: 46
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Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2007 6:26 pm Post subject: |
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Hi All,
It's my very first post. Alittle about me. I wouldn't necessarily consider myself a very intelligent person nor a natural writer but I did get solid grades on exams and essay's (generally speaking) in college. However, I had to study hours upon hours and edited my essays a dozen times or more. In order to excel like some people, I had to prepare a lot more. The few times I did not prepare, I either did average or got k!IIed.
After some grueling months at work, I now have time to commit to studying for the GMAT. I just took my first class at Manhattan GMAT yesterday and took their practice exam and got k!IIed. Scored a 500. The timing just totally messed me up. Initially, I got distraught. Then I remembered, I didn't even study.
The only reason I took it this early is because I had to for class. I am very competitive, so I need to do much better.
I will post a blog on here in every two weeks.
QUESTION:
For the people who scored 600+ on the practice test - how long did you study for? And how many hours per day & days per week?? |
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beatthegmat Founder

Joined: 13 Feb 2006 Posts: 3806
Thanks given: 29 Thanked 227 times in 127 posts
Location: California GMAT Score: 720
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Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2007 7:08 pm Post subject: |
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| Tame the CAT wrote: | Hi All,
It's my very first post. Alittle about me. I wouldn't necessarily consider myself a very intelligent person nor a natural writer but I did get solid grades on exams and essay's (generally speaking) in college. However, I had to study hours upon hours and edited my essays a dozen times or more. In order to excel like some people, I had to prepare a lot more. The few times I did not prepare, I either did average or got k!IIed.
After some grueling months at work, I now have time to commit to studying for the GMAT. I just took my first class at Manhattan GMAT yesterday and took their practice exam and got k!IIed. Scored a 500. The timing just totally messed me up. Initially, I got distraught. Then I remembered, I didn't even study.
The only reason I took it this early is because I had to for class. I am very competitive, so I need to do much better.
I will post a blog on here in every two weeks.
QUESTION:
For the people who scored 600+ on the practice test - how long did you study for? And how many hours per day & days per week?? |
Hi Tame the CAT:
Welcome to the Beat The GMAT Forum! Don't be too discouraged about your first GMAT practice test--you've got time to improve, and with the right practice/prep, you can certainly score well.
With regard to your last question--when I was prepping for the test, I typically spent 1-2 hours during the weekday, and a few more hours on the weekend.
Best of luck! I look forward to seeing your progress... _________________ Eric
Discounts on Kaplan, Manhattan GMAT, and Veritas Prep - see the links at the top of the page for more info.
Learn more about me
http://www.twitter.com/beatthegmat
http://www.twitter.com/ericbahn |
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fsar45 Rising GMAT Star
Joined: 25 Feb 2007 Posts: 80
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Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2007 8:45 pm Post subject: |
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Please don't get discouraged so quickly! You can definitely do it!!
I agree with Eric...a few hours on weeknights and then more on weekends is a good way to prep. Try to do practice questions on weeknights, one question type at a time. That way you can pick up patterns in your errors more easily. Keep an error log too.
Then do a full practice question each weekend, and take time to review your progress there too. If you're answering questions correctly in untimed practice, but not on the full tests, then you need to work on timing, concentration, nerves, etc. If you're you're struggling on both, then focus more on your errors and mastering the fundamentals before you take any more practice tests.
Hope this helps! |
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Stacey Koprince GMAT Instructor

Joined: 27 Dec 2006 Posts: 1274
Thanks given: 0 Thanked 99 times in 88 posts
Location: Bay Area, California GMAT Score: 770
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Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2007 11:41 pm Post subject: |
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Fully agree with the earlier posts. Do NOT worry about your starting score - it's actually better to take it cold (that is, without studying). The reason we make you take a test right away is so you can figure out what your strengths and weaknesses are. Take a look at the score report and look at the categories in which you did well and not so well. Use that to help prioritize your study.
Also, do sign up for your free weekly tutoring session - that can be really useful to work through your problem areas one-on-one with an instructor. The instructions for signing up are in your Welcome Guide (the thick packet handed out in class 1, if you're in an in-person class, or the document emailed to you if you're in a live virtual class).
And talk to your instructor - s/he will be very happy to help with any difficulties you encounter! Good luck! _________________ Stacey Koprince
GMAT Instructor
Director of Corporate Development, Northern California
Manhattan GMAT
Contributor to Beat The GMAT!
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Tame the CAT Rising GMAT Star
Joined: 04 Mar 2007 Posts: 46
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Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2007 6:44 pm Post subject: |
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WOW. thanks for the encouragement.
I have been following the Manhattan GMAT program (it's still early). I will definitely update my progress. This week I have put in 2.5 hours a day of studying, I'll probably put in about 90 on Saturdays and Sundays. There will be days I will probably put in 45 to 60 minutes and days I put in 3 hours or so. Need some time for myself as well. Do not want to fry my brain.
Although I have not registered for the official exam, I plan on taking it at the very beginning of June. I was a little discouraged, but now I have gained some confidence. I just see this as a challenge that I will conquer.
Like just about everyone - My goal is 700+.
Stacey, it is clear to me what my weaknesses are and what my strengths are. I will have to cater more to those weaknesses. |
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Tame the CAT Rising GMAT Star
Joined: 04 Mar 2007 Posts: 46
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Posted: Sun Apr 01, 2007 11:54 am Post subject: |
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Take II
Got a 600 on the MGMAT practice exam. Still not happy with my performance.
43Q 30V
I got k!IIed in both the CR and RC. Mind you, I did only 7 practice CR problems and no RC problems. I was focusing on the SC and got much better, although I have not mastered it. I need to break 38 or better.
The math I feel I can break 50 and was somewhat displeased with my score. I should at least break 47. |
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Stacey Koprince GMAT Instructor

Joined: 27 Dec 2006 Posts: 1274
Thanks given: 0 Thanked 99 times in 88 posts
Location: Bay Area, California GMAT Score: 770
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Posted: Sun Apr 01, 2007 5:44 pm Post subject: |
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FYI although the sub-scores officially go up to 60, the highest score you can really get in math is 51. So saying that you can break 50 is essentially saying you can score in the 99th percentile. (I'm not saying you shouldn't have that as a goal! Just be aware what it really means.)
And, no, no one knows why they have an official scale that goes up to 60 but then they don't actually assign scores that high. They're weird.
Oh, and for verbal, 99th percentile starts at 45. And math and verbal scores, although they are both on the 0-60 scale, aren't actually scaled the same, so the same numerical two-digit score will correspond to two different percentiles depending on whether you're talking about math or verbal. e.g., a 40 on math is low-60's and a 40 on verbal is low 90s. Very strange. _________________ Stacey Koprince
GMAT Instructor
Director of Corporate Development, Northern California
Manhattan GMAT
Contributor to Beat The GMAT!
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Tame the CAT Rising GMAT Star
Joined: 04 Mar 2007 Posts: 46
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Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 3:14 am Post subject: |
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| I will definitely take that under consideration. What does a 47Q and a 35V get you? Is there a site that can tell me what certain Q/V combos get??? |
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Stacey Koprince GMAT Instructor

Joined: 27 Dec 2006 Posts: 1274
Thanks given: 0 Thanked 99 times in 88 posts
Location: Bay Area, California GMAT Score: 770
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Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 2:10 pm Post subject: |
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That should be 650-ish. There isn't an official chart or anything published; I've got something I use to approximate (which is how I came up with ~650), but it isn't official or anything. _________________ Stacey Koprince
GMAT Instructor
Director of Corporate Development, Northern California
Manhattan GMAT
Contributor to Beat The GMAT!
Learn more about me |
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